Is Congressman Ron Paul headed for an impressive double-digit turnout in the New Hampshire presidential primary?
Not far from the hall was the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles:
Only about five years old, this modern cathedral is an awesome place. While its imposing boxy exterior may give some initial pause, the cathedral's interior design and works of art work are tremendous -- starting with its "Great Bronze Doors":
The most memorable art from the cathedral was "The Communion of Saints" -- the tapestries by John Nava that line the cathedral's nave. The saints depicted in the tapestries are from every age and place of the Catholic Church but placed randomly -- and even include a handful of images of unnamed young people. The tableau is inspired and thought-provoking.
The saints look forward into the center of the cathedral, as if processing to receive communion. Here's a close-up view of the upper half of one of the tapestries:
(Shown here are, left to right, John Baptist de la Salle, Paul Chong Hasang, Moses the Ethiopian, Kateri Tekakwitha and Thomas More.)
It was the kind of old school memorabilia-laden place any Pittsburgher would feel right at home. (Their Cole slaw was, however, a side dish and not under the bread.)
Yesterday, here at the NCSC conference, I attended a workshop about Catholic social teaching on immigration issues and care for refugees.
Yesterday, I flew from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles where, today through January 1, I will be an exhibitor for my company at the 24th annual conference of the National Catholic Student Coalition (NCSC).
For many years, my high school friends and I had a tradition of going to the movies on Christmas night after we finished celebrating the holiday with our families.
It's rare when something occurs in the news that you can definitively point to as an event that will certainly change the course of history.
Today is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. The Gospel at Mass brings us the story of St. Joseph and the vital role he played in salvation history.
... in person, Paul doesn't seem like a freak. He seems like someone's grandfather. I first met up with Paul after a rally at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He apparently hadn't known I was coming but accepted my arrival with Zen-like calm, welcoming me into the seat next to him in the minivan and offering me baked goods from a plate on his lap. We were both finishing our brownies when he mentioned they'd been baked by a supporter. I stopped chewing. Where I work, this is a major taboo (Rule One: Never eat food sent by viewers), and my concern must have shown. Paul grinned. "Maybe they're spiked with marijuana," he said.
If so, it would have been his first experience with illegal drugs. Though Paul argues passionately for liberalizing marijuana laws and is beloved by potheads (Timothy Leary once held a fund-raiser for him), he has never smoked pot himself. He sounded shocked when I asked him.
"I have never seen anyone smoke marijuana," he said. "I don't think I'd be open to using it." For some people, libertarianism is the philosophical justification for a zany personal life. Paul, by contrast, describes his hobbies as gardening (roses and organic tomatoes) and "riding my bicycle." He has never had a cigarette. He doesn't swear. He limits his drinking to an occasional glass of wine and goes to church regularly. He has been married to the same woman for 50 years. Three of their five children are physicians.
Ron Paul is deeply square, and every bit as deeply committed to your right not to be. "I don't gamble, but I'm the gambler's best friend," he says, boasting of his support for online casinos. He is a Second Amendment absolutist who doesn't own a gun. "I've only fired one a couple of times in my life. I've never gotten around to killing anything." It's an impressively, charmingly principled world view, though sometimes you've got to wonder how much Paul has in common with many of the people who support him.
Andrew Sullivan today endorsed Congressman Ron Paul in the race to be the GOP nominee for President in 2008.But the deeper reason to support Ron Paul is a simple one. The great forgotten principles of the current Republican party are freedom and toleration. Paul's federalism, his deep suspicion of Washington power, his resistance to government spending, debt and inflation, his ability to grasp that not all human problems are soluble, least of all by government: these are principles that made me a conservative in the first place. No one in the current field articulates them as clearly and understands them as deeply as Paul. He is a man of faith who nonetheless sees a clear line between religion and politics. More than all this, he has somehow ignited a new movement of those who love freedom and want to rescue it from the do-gooding bromides of the left and the Christianist meddling of the right. The Paulites' enthusiasm for liberty, their unapologetic defense of core conservative principles, their awareness that in the new millennium, these principles of small government, self-reliance, cultural pluralism, and a humble foreign policy are more necessary than ever - no lover of liberty can stand by and not join them.
He's the real thing in a world of fakes and frauds. And in a primary campaign where the very future of conservatism is at stake, that cannot be ignored. In fact, it demands support.
Go Ron Paul!
The December 10 edition of America, the national Catholic weekly magazine published by the Jesuits, included a good article entitled "The Eye and I: Do the questions science poses diminish the God of faith?".Science still yields plenty of clues to a Designer, who might not be as intrusive as we have been led to believe. Every planet circles the sun at precisely the one speed that will keep it from drifting into deep space or crashing into the sun. The four fundamental forces in the universe are gravity (the attractive pull of every body), electromagnetism (bonding atoms), the strong nuclear force (binding elements within the nucleus) and the weak force (radioactive decay). If any of these forces were even minutely different, the advent of humans would have been unthinkable. In fact, according to Stephen Hawking, “If the rate of expansion one second after the Big Bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, it would have recollapsed before it reached its present size.” Conversely, if gravity were weaker, Big Bang dust would have just continued to expand, never coalescing. If the strong nuclear force were a little weaker, no elements heavier than hydrogen would have formed. If electromagnetism were stronger, electrons would be so tightly bound to atoms, chemical compounds would have been impossible. Any weaker, and atoms would disintegrate at room temperature.
Miller writes: “As His great creation burst forth from the singularity of its origin, His laws would have set within it the seeds of galaxies, stars, and planets, the potential for life, the inevitability of change, and the confidence of emerging intelligence.” God works not in the intimate, palpable anthropomorphism of Genesis, kneeling in the mud to fashion Adam and turn his rib into Eve, but God is—and always will be—vibrant and at work in every physical law that evolution presumes.
Perhaps we might find more motivated belief if we were more at peace with intriguing questions than prefabricated conclusions, if we could stop needing to prove anything and delight in pursuing the clues.
Today is the third Sunday of Advent or Gaudete Sunday. The Gospel at Mass provides and explanation by Jesus himself of His relationship in salvation history with John the Baptist.
Last night, we checked out some live music quite different from that offered up by Cake Thursday at Terminal 5. The location was the small "living room" concert space of the Gershwin Hotel on 27th Street in NYC. The performer was Phat Man Dee, the sultry songstress from Pittsburgh's South Side.
Today, December 12, Catholics celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- our belief that in 1531, on a hill outside Mexico City, the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican.
Hat-tip for the modern OLOG: The Deacon's Bench.
I listened for those morning sports briefs because of the distinctive voice and personality of DUQ sports director Sean Doherty -- and his quirky interactions with morning jazz host Bob Studebaker.
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. The Gospel at Mass brought us strong words of warning from John the Baptist (shown in the icon above).
Last night, we saw the documentary film "'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris" at Cinema Village on 12th Street & University Place.Romney reintroduced himself to a distracted country -- Who is that handsome man saying those nice things? -- while defending principles we all, actually, hold close, and hold high.
... became this much loved and venerated saint in northern Europe ....
... and later transformed into our jolly old elf here in America ...
Kevin, now a graduate student in theology at Boston College, recently completed a four-year term as the president of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) -- only the second American to ever hold the post that is based in Paris.
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the first day of the new liturgical year and the start of the season of anticipation leading to Christmas.
Last Sunday, while I was still back in Pittsburgh, we had the chance to see two additional movies I've been remiss in mentioning here.
The other movie we caught Sunday was "Across the Universe," Julie Taymor's homage on film to the music of The Beatles.
The small town of Midway, PA, has lost another one of its great old-timers: Jack Schwartz. He passed away yesterday at the age of 86.
I'm writing tonight from Crazy Mocha, a coffee shop on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh at the South Side Works. We just saw "Enchanted," a Disney-produced spoof of Disney fairy tales. It combined animation with live action scenes on the streets of NYC.
Credited to Randall Benton of the Sacramento Bee, the stunning photo shows the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in the California capital during the Welcoming Mass for the Diocese of Sacramento's new coadjutor bishop, Jaime Soto.
In fact, if you're interested, there's an excellent slide show of the occasion.
In March of this year, I had the opportunity to attend a Mass celebrated by Bishop Soto during the L.A. Religious Education Congress.
The photo above is credited to Jewel Samad/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images. Caption: Masud's mother, Toslima, mourned his death on Monday.
The photo above from The New York Times is credited to Jewel Samad/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images. Caption: People waited for relief goods on Monday in the village of Maithachomohoni in the southern coastal area of Bangladesh.
Kudos to the folks at the P-G on this one. They did everything they could.
... the more I talk to Ron Paul, the more sense he makes to me. I've ended both my recent conversations with him more intrigued, even enamored, than when we began.
I think that's because in a political world epitomized by the constant hedging of candidates scared their one false move will end up on YouTube, Dr. Paul is something of a throwback. He's plainspoken, direct and mad as hell. And that's what I find so refreshing. Even when I disagree with him.
Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, pictured above, recently withdrew from the crowded Republican field for President.Faith in a Winning Message
By Sam BrownbackOne of the great things about running for president is that you get a good sense of what Americans are thinking. I found a great love of our country and great concern for its future in the hearts of Americans.
There is, unfortunately, a lot of fear as well. There is apprehension about the war, the economy and health care. In particular, there is concern in many quarters about the future of the faith-based movement.
Message is all-important. I believe the biggest threat to our future as a movement is a negative public face, when we don't project a welcoming and hopeful message based on an authentic faith.
The future of the conservative movement in our country will be strong if we can be moved by genuine faith and love for mankind, but not by political power.
On the campaign trail I talked about being pro-life and whole-life.
This is, first and foremost, recognition of the fundamental dignity of every human person. It says that every person, at every stage and in every place, is a beautiful and unique child of God. It says that every life, everywhere, has value and is worth fighting for.
I think this is a winning message.
Unfortunately, the GOP primary process this year, as in times past, has been more focused on "electability" than message. I believe that's the wrong focus.
Recent history has shown that, as a party, when we focus on message, we win; when we get bogged down with questions about which personality is most "electable," we lose.
The pro-life message is both hopeful and winning. We know that America is better than abortion. We ought to work for a society where the strong protect the weak and every child, in every circumstance, is welcomed and cared for. The truth of our message is undermined, however, if we are not among the first to support adoption and assist pregnant women in difficult circumstances. We must support women in every way we can.
The pro-life and whole-life message does not stop with abortion. It embraces the child in Darfur, the woman struggling in poverty, the child born with Down syndrome, the man in prison and even the immigrant.
It has led me to spend nights in prisons in America and to visit homeless shelters, orphanages and refugee camps across the world. I have tried to understand the difficult circumstances in people's lives and ways that we can help. Some of the most profound people I have met possess souls that radiate a beauty that comes from finding strength and hope amid hardships unimaginable to most Americans.
The fundamental truth of human dignity can shed light on every issue. It means that we should help the poor in America, reduce prison recidivism rates and fight addiction by helping others break the bonds they cannot break themselves.
It means we ought to stand for marriage as the unique bond that can bring new life into the world. It means we should have an economy that helps families, honors freedom and shows compassion to those in need.
This philosophy welcomes the immigrant and has mercy on the prisoner. While we must secure the border and enforce the law, we cannot forget that every immigrant, whatever his or her status, is a person with innate dignity. This is our duty to the "foreigner amongst us" (Deuteronomy 10:18). A wise man once told me that we get into trouble when we look at people as problems and not as people.
The same can be said for those in prison. While we must protect society and enforce our laws, the prisoner, too, is a child of a loving God. I am glad to support programs that help prisoners deal with their problems and ease their return to society so that they don't find themselves back in jail. And unless society cannot otherwise be protected, we should not use the instrument of death but instead should seek to build a culture that values every life.
Human dignity has a significant bearing on the question of faith in the public square. I am convinced that a society that celebrates faith will have greater respect for human dignity. Atheistic communism ran counter to human nature when it tried to create a society without God. Such a society will never honor human dignity because it turns man in on himself, instead of outward in love.
The conservative movement in America will succeed to the degree that it is faith-filled. We must exude the virtues of authentic faith: joy, hope and love. Our movement must be more compassionate, loving and welcoming.
It doesn't mean we abandon our principles. Of course we will continue to stand for life, marriage and faith in the public square. The question is whether we move forward as bold people of faith, focused on compassion instead of judgment and dedicating our daily lives to witnessing instead of winning.
The writer is a Republican senator from Kansas.
